The drum top clamping ring of this invention constitutes an improvement over the type commercially available and marketed and particularly the version of clamping ring disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,848, granted Oct. 30, 1973. The clamping rings disclosed in this patent generally include horizontal levers which are pivotal in a plane parallel to the plane of the ring as well as the top rim of the drum. The levers are normally held in a closed clamped position by a vertically pivotal latch.